Australia claims triple glory in APAC tech startup awards

Three Australian companies have taken out awards in the annual Talent Unleashed Awards, with healthcare offerings dominating the awards.

The annual tech and entrepreneurial awards aim to celebrate the best and boldest in technological innovation, especially startups, SMEs and ‘challenger’ companies.​

Adelaide's Clevertar, a spin-out company from Flinders University, was named Best Startup - Tech Innovation. The company uses relational agent technology to help consumers manage chronic conditions and stay healthy - and out of hospital - while also enabling remote monitoring by care providers.

Perth company ResApp Health, which helps diagnose and manage respiratory disease via a smartphone took out the award for Best Tech IPO/Venture Capital Raising, while Brisbane's Prendi, which says it specialises in creating digital solutions by seamlessly integarting technologies, content and interactivity into physical environments, was named Best Digital SME - Tech Innovation.

New Zealand's oDocs, whose offerings turn iPhones into specialised eye exam tools, took out the award for Best Startup - Social Impact. Rounding out the Asia Pacific awards, Neal Cross of DBS in Singapore was named Most Disruptive CIO/CTO.

Talent says the finalists and winners, who represented Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, 'capture the diversity of the game-changing entrepreneurs working to transform the healthcare, business, banking and finance spheres.

Richard Earl, executive chairman and founder of Talent, which runs the awards, says the winning companies – which now go on to compete in the Global Grand Finals in August – are five of the ‘most passionate, determined and innovative entrepreneurs and technology leaders in the Asia Pacific region’.

“It’s very pleasing to be able to recognise these individuals, the companies they are part of and the impact they’ve had on the communities in which they operate,” Earl says.

“I’m particularly proud to be recognising three healthcare technology companies, which are operating out in our community every day and changing lives and health outcomes.

“The technology sector has a huge part to play in rapidly improving the ways in which we tackle healthcare issues, and setting new standards of immediate, personalised healthcare service in this crucial sector.”

The winners were chosen by a international judging panel which included Steve Wozniak, Sir Richard Branson, Igniting Change’s Jane Tewson and International Volunteer HQ’s Dan Radcliffe.

They will now make a final live pitch to the judging panel at the grand final in Sydney next month. The grand prize winners will receive a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to spend one-on-one time with Wozniak, along with a bespoke trip to Silicon Valley to attend a cutting edge technology conference and visit some of the region’s leading tech companies.

"We look forward to seeing [the APAC winners] unleash their vision at the finals, when they'll be up against several extraordinary entrepreneurs and business leaders from the UK and Europe," Earl says.